Interview of Sérgio about his stay in Italy
11 years have passed since you first played in Italy. What is the difference between 1998 and 2009? It has been so long, but I didnt felt the time passing. That is, I know it was 11 years and I also know that I enjoyed it well. I was in big teams. And nobody forgets the first time, isn´it? It was for Lazio in Turim, and I scored the winning goal [2-1] over Juventus at 90 '+3. At that time, the SuperCup was decided in the stadium of the champion team, Juventus, in this case. You see? One difference from 1998 to 2009: This year, the Italian Supercup was played outside Italy in Beijing.
You were the hero of the game but the Italian press changed your name ... It's true! Between Sérgio and Flávio Conceicao, goes a big difference. I am Portuguese, he is Brazilian. I played in Italy, he in Spain [Deportivo]. The next day, when I read that, I was ... Can you imagine?
But I demonstrated my value to the Italians over the years. In Lazio, I was national champion, lifted the Cup Winners' Cup. I played at Inter, which in itself was a victory, and also in Parma, who finished second that year [2000-01].
I'm Sérgio and they [reporters] already know that, on account of my victories.
At that time, in 1998, you changed Porto for Rome. Felt the difference? Very, very, very much. It was difficult. Not adapting to the language, food, country and customs. It was hard to leave the core of FC Porto, where everything is a family who ate together at least once a week. When I came to Lazio, I soon realized that the environment was colder. It was every man for himself. Note that this is not a criticism. It´s normal everywhere in the world - and I have walked by many clubs [Lazio, Inter, Parma, Standard, Al Qadisiya and PAOK]. The family of FC Porto is it different for the better.
Choose eleven players who played with you. Let's start with the goalkeeper. [Without hesitation] Buffon. I lived with him one year at Parma and it showed me the quality of football and food. I compare it to Vitor Baia. Do you know what Buffon had in is locker at Parma? You will not believe! A poster of the Carrarese supporters, the club of his land [Carrara]. He went to see their games when he had time to.
Defense. On the right, Zanetti,
il capitano of Inter. What a class, on and off the field. In the center, Cannavaro and Nesta. I was their companion in Parma and Lazio respectively. Italy agrees with this duo. On the left, whom it shall be? Who is there - to be? Put Cordoba. He is a good guy. Thuram [Parma] as an substitute.
And the three in midfield? Another difficult question. Matias Almeyda, Argentina. We were together from Lazio to Parma in 2000. Later, Roberto Mancini, who played with me in Lazio, and even came to be my coach, and Veron, Lazio also.
In this midfield, only Almeyda' is a nice person. Mancini was sensational but I never liked it. He had some manias...
Nobody taught Veron anything, he was not a "good wave" person. A philosopher, well-spoken, but not a good companion. Of these three, two are good for nothing and I would only dine with Almeyda. At the bank, Seedorf and Pirlo [both Inter Milan both today].
Attack. I choose Vieri, Ronaldo and Bokšić, who was always injured but when he played, was amazing. I leave Adriano, Salas, Crespo ...
And who would be the coach of this team? I had so many good ones. Cuper, responsible for my arrival at Inter, Malesani, Sacchi. I choose Sacchi, who coached Parma for all it represents to the world football, by all that remains for the Italians. Is Sacchi, definitely.
And Eriksson? Yes, I thought about it. He is a gentleman. But I prefer Sacchi. With Eriksson, I played the whole season but was an substitute in the final of the Cup Winners' Cup. Do you know why?
Because he was very fond of Mancini and he almost walked arm in arm with Mihajlovic, the point of having been his assistant at Inter. Mihajlovic was the best friend of Stankovic, now at Inter. In this final, guess who played? Stankovic, of course! I was in the bench!
Eriksson is a gentleman but I don´t like people who make these type of "schemes"...It is equal to Scolari.
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